Kaddish for My Father

It's been 11 months since my beloved father left this world.

Today marks the end of the11th month since my father, Rabbi Noach Weinberg zt"l, passed away. This day is not marked as an official day that one has to do anything specific other than to stop saying the Kaddish prayer. But for me it's an especially sad day.

Essentially, this is the first time I have to deal with mourning. I have learned that there are four stages in the mourning period. The first stage started from the minute I found out that my father passed away until the burial. This stage is obviously the most painful.

The second stage begins from the burial and goes through seven days of sitting shiva. These seven days are a mix of pain and comfort, where so many friends come to console the mourners.

The third stage is sheloshim, that starts after shiva and goes for 30 days from the burial. On those days, even though the pain is still present, it starts to get mixed into other areas of life.

The last stage is the completion of the year since the death. At this time, the pain surfaces at different times in one's daily routine.

Our Sages devised such a wise way to mourn and find comfort. King Solomon wrote that there is a time for everything, including a time to be happy and a time for sadness. Why do we need a time for sadness? During this period, I've learned to appreciate this teaching. Being sad presents an opportunity to grow and gain a deeper understanding about the meaning of life and the correct way to handle a crisis.

During the first stage, from the minute that my father passed away, it was impossible for me to even talk. The pain and the sadness were so intense. The ceremony and the funeral afterward felt like a non-ending darkness. I felt like I was going down without any hope that the pain would subside. At the funeral, there were so many people who came to give their last respects to my great father, but I was someplace else, even though I was right next to him.

Then came that moment where I was forced to speak. Fortunately, these were the first words that I needed to say: "Yisgadal V' Yiskadash Shemay Raba..." – reciting the Kaddish. Suddenly I felt I'm not alone. I remembered that I have the Almighty to rely on, forever and ever. I felt not only the pain of the loss of my father, but also the opportunity to remember him and everything he taught me through this special way of sanctifying and praising God's name. From that moment, I felt that I was starting to climb upwards and had hope that happier days were to come.

Everyday when I have the opportunity to say the Kaddish prayer, I reconnect to this emotional healing feeling. So today when I need to stop saying Kaddish, it's an especially sad day.

The reason that we stop saying Kaddish at the end of the 11th month is because the Sages say that the longest period of time that a person could be judged in the next world is 12 months. But we assume that the deceased does not require the maximum 12 months of judgment and stop saying Kaddish, which helps the deceased during this period, after 11 months.

Although it's hard for me to stop saying Kaddish today, to stop using this tool that enables one to have a stronger spiritual connection with God, as well as with my beloved father, it's much easier to stop, knowing that this is giving honor to my father.

I will definitely continue to learn in the merit of my father, to continue this meaningful connection.

During this year of mourning, one of the things that I have gained was a long conversation with my father. My father has left behind a priceless treasure -- his teachings on so many topics and ideas. Whenever I would have something on my mind, I would dive into this sea of knowledge and listen to his words. I see this as a special privilege for me. I have received a priceless gift and I wish to share it with the whole world.

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Visitor Comments: 16

(16)
Carlos Sorto,
March 27, 2010 6:22 PM

He is alive is us Jews and non jews like me

Always he was my Rabbi and he will be, he introduce my self to Torah , Judaism , and was the most wonderful experience of my life , today i learned he left, feel sad tears in my eyes and just want to add, his beautiful teaching is a leaving memory to the Rabbi of all , I will go over his MP3 and enjoy word by word of is leaving teaching.

(15)
Donna Perel,
January 27, 2010 3:25 AM

Don't Stop Living!

There will always be a part of your heart that will never heal. You have a tremendous Yirusha! Your Beloved Father Ztz"l would want you to live life to its fullest and continue his holy work. May Hashem give you the strength to continue his wonderful work!

(14)
elisheva,
January 25, 2010 3:13 PM

Your Father is still with us

Dear Rabbi Yehuda:
Three years ago AISH appeared mysteriously on my computer screen. At the time i had been seeking desperately for my Jewish roots. So this was a mega miracle to me. iMMEDIATELY i started reading the Parachot, and all the other articles every day. I got to know your father Rabbi Noach thru his writings and somehow i got this tremendous fire burning within me to be the best observant Jew i could possibly be. I began studying the 48 Ways of Wisdom, and many other courses offered on Jewish Pathways. I have to admit, that I never had a father and so i kept wondering what it must have been like to have been reared by such wise and loving man as your father. How much hardship he must have spared you!!!!To have been instructed in TORAH as a child. Now there is total PROFIT!!!!, to have had him show you how to navigate thru so many dark tunnels trusting in HASHEM!!!.
Then i realized that HASHEM had chosen a NEW father for me. Your father's loving , wise word started to work a miracle inside my spirit. I started to feel empowered and secure thru his counsel based on TORAH. I also met wonderful instuctors thru PARTNERS IN TORAH who help me understand many difficult verses and also teach me about observance of holidays. Your father changed my life. To me he is very much alive and making the world better each day one person at a time. You can't believe the many people with whom i have shared TORAH and your father's advice. Your dad was so right when he said the words of his father, "if no one is doing the job, we have to do it. -- I am learning how bec of your father and also, sharing w others the FIRE OF TORAH.
MAY YOUR DAD'S MEMORY LIVE FOREVER.

(13)
d el b,
January 24, 2010 6:01 AM

* i

reb yehuda, may you continue to shine in the light your father zts'l bestowed upon you and all those he touched*
Your family b'H and iy'H continues this effort. MAY 'ALL OUR PEOPLE 'together' join RESPECTFULLY IN TOLERANCE and say thank-you HKB'H*~ as your father taught, as you share and
as you also learned how to give,,,the big HUG!
thank-you for you,
donnie el & gaya

(12)
Dovid's Friend,
January 19, 2010 7:30 PM

I remember Rav Weinberg's "Amen"

My family and I were in our first year of making Aliyah and I was in my first year of Kollel. We had no money to buy bread or milk so I went collecting in the local shuls before going to Kollel. I remember one particular person who every time i collected in his minyan, and he gave me a coin, i said "tizku l'mitzvos" and this person said a clear definitive "AMEN" as if I had given him a big, special bracha. I never knew who this special Yid was ... it was Rav Weinberg. His Amen gave me me more koach then his coin. Rav Weinberg's Amen gave me a lesson in how to give tzedeka.

(11)
Nurit,
January 17, 2010 4:28 AM

Rav Noach Weinberg- What a tzadik.

I want to thank Rabbi Weinberg for starting Aish Hatorah and brining the Jewish people back to hashem. It is due to his influence that I became observant. His lectures and words are comforting and meaningful. His quote from one of his videos " If you see a Jew sinking, are you going to save him, or let him sink". He knew how to get the message across!

(10)
Judith,
January 5, 2010 7:49 AM

ZTz"L

May you always feel conforted

(9)
manuel,
December 30, 2009 1:52 PM

Taught me Judaism

Your father greatly contributed to teach me Torah, how to be and feel proud about being Jewish and how to convey these values to my family. The consequences of the actions of your father in his phyiscal life have no boundaries, he still lives and will live in many of us who are scattered around the world

(8)
Sandra Calderon,
December 30, 2009 8:56 AM

Learning in his merit.

I learn in the merit of this great tzaddik, Your father saved my life B"H by pointing out the importance of, "chose life, so that you can live". His Yahrzeit is near, and the sadness of his loss is still here, but the hope that his teachings will help us become one people who merit the coming of Moshiach only grows stronger.

(7)
Yiska,
December 30, 2009 3:33 AM

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry about your father. <3

(6)
Jeremy Lingard,
December 30, 2009 3:05 AM

jeremylingard@gmail.com

Your Father was a great man, but I don't have to tell you that. I would not have found Judaism without him.

(5)
tehilla(zeesy)weinberg(markowitz),
December 29, 2009 7:02 PM

anser to Iris moskovitz(2)

Hi cuz...! Rabbi Yehuda is a bruther of Rabbi markowitz son-in-law. Rabbi markowitz son-in-law's name is Eliyahu and he is my husbend.

(4)
We all share with you,
December 29, 2009 6:54 PM

2. Comment from we share with you
Time December 29, 2009 at 1:56 PM
We all share with you, I have been listening every day to his shiurim - may he be a true meilitz yosher for klal yisroel - umachha hashem kol………….

(3)
Anonymous,
December 29, 2009 3:14 PM

ALP41489@AOL.com

i wish i had the opportunity to meet rav weinberg, zt"l. he was such an inspiration to many many people.

(2)
Iris Moskovitz,
December 29, 2009 2:14 PM

May Hashem comfort you and all of klal yisroel at this time.

My husband's first cousin, Pinchas Noach Markowitz is an in-law to Rabbi Noach Weinberg, O"BM. I was just wondereing if Rabbi Yehuda is his son-in-law. May Rabbi Noach have a lichtega Gan Eden, which there is no doubt in any of our minds, he is having.

(1)
Anonymous,
December 29, 2009 9:46 AM

your father was so special to all of us. we are with you in your mourning.